Welcome back to Parsons Playlists! Today we’re featuring a selection of songs with Funky Bass Grooves as curated by Music Library student manager Christian (class of 2023).
Parsons Playlists: Funky Bass Grooves
A playlist of some great songs with dangerously funky bass lines.
Editor’s note:Arachnophonia (“Arachno” = spider / “-phonia” = sound) is a regular feature on our blog where members of the UR community can share their thoughts about resources from the Parsons Music Library‘s collection.
If you’re any fan of Disney, or of musicals, there can be a 95% guarantee – if not 100%, that you have heard of Alan Menken. Menken, born in 1949 in Manhattan, is a composer and songwriter who has worked tirelessly since 1972 to give the American public and worldwide audiences the pleasures of listening to his incredible musical abilities, writing songs for some of our favorite Disney movies, musicals, and shows.
Just the sheer variety of different types of films/musicals and the musical talent to be able to write completely original songs with varying styles is incredible. And all of them were absolute hits. This incredible discography is beyond fascinating. Just imagine – currently in New York, Little Shop of Horrors is playing again Off-Broadway. Aladdin is on Broadway. The Little Mermaid live action remake is coming out in 2023. The Hunchback of Notre Dame’s live-action remake is in the works. That is four – yes four – pending or active projects that have Menken’s name attached to them.
Parsons Music Library has had the privilege to house the Alan Menken Songbook, with scores for piano, voice, and guitar. Some of his most popular pieces are held in this 188 page score.
Songs that are included are “Sante Fe” (Newsies), “Somewhere That’s Green” (Little Shop of Horrors), “Proud of Your Boy” (Aladdin), “Go the Distance” (Hercules), “A Change in Me” (Beauty and the Beast) and a variety of other classics.
As you play, listen, or read the scores for all 28 songs included in the songbook, you can feel the different styles and the creativity needed to write songs for such Disney-esque plots. Nothing Disney has come out with has ever been less than imaginative – it takes an even more imaginative person to bring those creative tales to life through song. And that is all achieved through Menken’s song writing abilities.
Welcome back to Parsons Playlists! Today we’re featuring a collection of feel good indie/alternative music curated by Music Library student manager Abby (class of 2021).
So here are “some relaxing jazz instrumentals for your late night study sessions” curated by Abby for you:
Welcome back to Parsons Playlists! Today we’re featuring a collection of film soundtrack music curated by Music Library student manager Colin (Class of 2021).
Films have been my go-to source of entertainment for years. In high school, my friends and I became heavily invested in the awards season of movies, in which we tried to watch every film that was nominated for Best Picture by the Academy. Movies are not measured for enjoyability by their success winning awards, nor do awards automatically make a movie “good.” Rather, this activity was something that my friends and I enjoyed doing, and exposed us to a lot of new films and directors. Particularly interesting for us in watching films was hearing the soundtrack, as all of my friends and I were involved in my school’s music program. We loved talking about the scores of films, and the impact that specific songs have through their leitmotifs or influence on the narrative. For example, we were obsessed with the soundtrack from La La Land, because, well let’s be honest; who can’t tap their foot or hum along with the songs when listening to its music?
Richard Wagner had a great influence upon the film industry and its scores due to his methodical approach to writing operas, in which the music he composed enhanced the narrative through the use of leitmotifs, or short musical phrases that indicate the appearance of a character or narrative theme. This concept was recognized by the film industry, and was expanded on by different film composers, specifically Max Steiner who is known as “The Father of Film Music.” Steiner was heavily influenced by Wagnerian musical concepts, and would incorporate leitmotifs, non-diegetic sounds and other elements that enhanced the musical experience in movies and their relation to narratives. Since Steiner, films have grown to incorporate songs into their soundtracks that are either specifically written for the movie from a preexisting band, or the rights are bought from a band to include their song in the movie. The songs themselves share the same focus that Steiner envisioned for his films, in that songs are used for a narrative purpose in order to advance the plot, express the emotions of a specific character, and/or give credibility to the environment in which the film or a scene takes place.
A sampling of films scored by Max Steiner
With this playlist, I wanted to highlight songs used in films that transcend just their immediate presence in the film. The rules of this playlist are rather loose, in that the songs included may have been written for the specific movie in which they are famous for being in, or written before the movie and added to the soundtrack and become a staple song for the film. I have included highly popular choices that the general film-viewing population would agree with, such as “My Heart Will Go On” in Titanic and “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” in The Breakfast Club. However, I have also offered some of my personal choices of songs that I believe greatly enhance the movie and urge audiences to listen to the song outside of the filmic experience, but do not necessarily have the history or popular recognition by audiences. I hope that choices like “Slip Away” from Booksmart and “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again” from Rocketman will expand your music and film libraries. I have organized the songs in order of their film’s release date, and my personal choices begin with “Send Me on My Way” from Matilda. And this playlist does not feature any instrumentally focused soundtracks that typically appear in large blockbuster films, but rather individual songs focused on lyrics. I hope you enjoy this eclectic playlist and relive some great film experiences through music!
Editor’s note:Arachnophonia is a feature on our blog where members of the UR community can share their thoughts about resources from the Parsons Music Library‘s collection.
Erik Satie has long been one of my favorite composers for his ability to blend together subtlety and expressiveness to create an ambiance unlike any other artist. In his day, Satie struggled greatly to find support for his music, but his friendship with composer Claude Debussy proved valuable when Debussy offered to orchestrate two of Satie’s three “Gymnopédies”. Among Satie’s earlier works, Debussy saw great potential in “Trois Gymnopédies” and his orchestrations are still performed today, although Debussy disliked the second of the three and never orchestrated it. In this CD recording by the New London Orchestra, conductor Ronald Corp attempts to elucidate the same subtleties Debussy loved so much in Satie’s work with his orchestrations of Gymnopédie no. 2 as well as “Trois Gnossiennes”. This CD also features recordings of some of Satie’s ballets: Parade, Mercure, and Relâche. Each was met with mixed reviews at their debuts, but are now considered to be some of his finest works.
Erik Satie in 1920
I love to listen to Satie, especially the Gymnopédies, while I read or do work. Music historians often credit Satie as being one of the precursors to modern “ambient music”, and it’s easy to see why. Satie’s music lends itself equally well to thoughtful listening as it does to background enjoyment. If you’re looking for a CD to help you relax after a long week or accompany a good book, I highly recommend the New London Orchestra’s collection of recordings.
Welcome to the third installment of Parsons Playlists, back after a hiatus and featuring a Halloween playlist from Music Library Associate, Melanie Armstrong.
Melanie says: “Since Halloween 2020 is going to be a bit … different, I – your friendly neighborhood Music Library Associate – made a playlist in that vein.
I’ve left out some of the more obvious Halloween playlist picks (like “Thriller“, or “Spooky“, or “Ghostbusters“), and hope you’ll enjoy this idiosyncratic selection! I’ve included some songs for the Halloween blue moon (the first Halloween blue moon since 1944) among other things.”
Editor’s note:Arachnophonia is a regular feature on our blog where members of the UR community can share their thoughts about resources from the Parsons Music Library‘s collection.
Today’s installment of Arachnophonia is by student worker Allison (class of 2022) and features George Gershwin‘s classic piece for orchestra and piano, Rhapsody in Blue. Thanks, Allison!
George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue was premiered in New York on February 12, 1924 by Paul Whiteman and his orchestra, featuring Gershwin on the piano. Whiteman, conductor of the Palais Royal Orchestra, had previously talked with Gershwin about mixing classical music with jazz and decided that Gershwin would premiere a piece at his “Experiment in Modern Music” concert. Although Gershwin had not formally committed to composing a piece, it was already announced in the newspapers so he had to. In just five weeks, the piece was composed and rehearsed, with Gershwin playing the piano part. Interestingly, he left his piano part to be improvised during the world premiere.
Gershwin’s autograph score to Rhapsody in Blue showing the iconic clarinet opening. Image source: https://smtd.umich.edu/ami/gershwin/?p=213
Although somewhat common today, it was groundbreaking in that time period for an orchestra to play a jazz concerto. The premiere of Rhapsody in Blue was wildly successful and opened doors for many future composers to incorporate jazz elements into their music. In addition, by choosing to compose this piece, Gershwin opened many doors for himself as a composer. Prior to Rhapsody in Blue, Gershwin composed scores for Broadway musicals. The piece didn’t change the trajectory of his career but expanded it as he became more well known.
George Gershwin composing at the piano. American composer, 1898-1937. (Source: https://doi.org/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.A2252861)
The first Gershwin piece I heard was An American in Paris while preparing for an audition. I was very intrigued by the piece but never was able to fully appreciate it until playing it with my youth orchestra. Because I loved that piece, I was excited to receive music for another Gershwin piece this semester. Rhapsody in Blue is very different from An American in Paris but both pieces are composed in a manner that is clearly Gershwin.
Editor’s note:Arachnophonia is a regular feature on our blog where members of the UR community can share their thoughts about resources from the Parsons Music Library‘s collection.
One of my favorite albums (and singers) is Norah Jones’ Come Away With Me.This might sound odd, but it’s what I most frequently listen to when cooking or baking — it’s the perfect rainy day music.
Her tone is so soft and sweet and her songs are very melodic. I love that intertwines jazz and blues because it’s hard to find that type of music now. Jones was a lot more popular in the early 2000s — I was first introduced to the album when my mom and dad would play it in our house when I was in elementary school.
She has lots of awards and has sold more than 50 million records worldwide. In the beginning of the 2000s Billboard deemed her the top jazz artist of the decade. She has won nine Grammys and writes her own songs as well as plays the piano.
Norah Jones at Bright Eyes at Town Hall 29 May 2007 (credit: Yaffa)
Come Away With Me is the album that kick started her career and launched many of her songs into popularity. The album is a fusion of jazz with country, blues, folk and pop. It was certified diamond, meaning that it sold over 27 million copies. This album alone was enough to win Jones five Grammys, including Album of the Year and Best New Artist. My personal favorite songs from the album are “Don’t Know Why” and “Shoot the Moon,” but all of the songs are so unique and enjoyable in their own way. I tend to listen to a lot of mainstream pop because it’s always on everywhere and I want to stay up-to-date on all the trending music, however, this is a nice change of pace from that. I think it’s important to listen to a wide range of artists and music, and Norah Jones is the kind of singer that I believe almost everyone would like.
Some other singers that mirror her musical vibe are Diana Krall, Corinne Bailey Rey, Alicia Keys, Adele, and Duffy. I’d say her style is a bit more laid back and the songs aren’t as fit for blasting on the radio, but her songs are written about similar themes and use little auto-tuning or electronics.
Editor’s note:Arachnophonia is a regular feature on our blog where members of the UR community can share their thoughts about resources from the Parsons Music Library‘s collection.
Amanda Röntgen-Maier portrait Bergen Public Library Norway from Bergen, Norway
If you look up Amanda Maier in Grove Music Online, the self-styled “world’s premier online music encyclopedia,” you’ll find that she was the first wife of composer Julius Röntgen, as well as a violinist who studied at the Stockholm Conservatory. But Maier (1853-1894) wasn’t “only” a wife and a violinist; she was also a gifted composer whose music was praised by both Brahms and Grieg. After hearing a recording of Maier’s violin concerto on the radio, I resolved to add the works of this unjustly neglected composer to Parsons Music Library’s collection.
Jennifer Martyn, herself a violinist, has filled in some of Maier’s background. Maier’s performing career essentially ended when she married Julius Röntgen, her violin teacher’s son, but she continued to compose until a few years prior to her tragically early death, from a lung ailment, at the age of forty-one.
Two CDs recently acquired by Parsons Music Library are simply titled Amanda Maier,volumes 1and 2 (call numbers RM3.1 .M36 2016 and RM3.1 .M36 2017) They are the brainchild of Swedish producer Erik Nilsson, who plans to record all of Maier’s works. Volume 1 contains the first movement of her Violin Concerto in D Minor, performed by violinist Gregory Maytan and the Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Andreas Stoehr (unfortunately, the second and third movements have been lost). Maier’s final work, her Piano Quartet in E Minor, is played by Maytan with Bernt Lysell (viola), Sara Wijk (cello), and Ann-Sofi Klingberg (piano). The Quartet is a profound work, with a dramatic first movement, a lyrical second movement reminiscent of Brahms, a dancelike third movement, and an exuberant finale. Klingberg also accompanies Maytan on the Swedish Tunes and Dances that Maier and her husband composed together.
Volume 2 of Amanda Maier contains her best known work, the passionate Sonata in B Minor for Violin and Piano, here performed by violinist Cecilia Zilliacus and pianist Bengt Forsberg. This duo also plays her Nine Pieces for Violin and Piano, only six of which have ever been published. Maier’s vocal music is represented on this recording by four unpublished songs setting texts by the now-forgotten poet Carl-David af Wirsén. Soprano Sabina Bisholt and pianist Bengt Forsberg perform these rather melancholy pieces.
Editor’s note:Arachnophonia is a regular feature on our blog where members of the UR community can share their thoughts about resources from the Parsons Music Library‘s collection.
Although my parents definitely read the book to me previously,my first tangible memory of The Polar Express was in first grade when my class had “Polar Express Day.” On that day we came to school in our pajamas, drank hot chocolate, and watched The Polar Express. As a result, I have always had a certain fondness for the movie.
In 2017, I played “The Polar Express Suite” with my youth orchestra as a part of our annual Christmas concert. Even with our packed program, “The Polar Express Suite” still stuck out as one of my absolute favorites. The suite highlights the main themes from the polar express soundtrack and creates the same majestic feeling the songs have in the movie. The suite is often overlooked but I find it to be just as much of a holiday classic as the movie itself.
